Two tote favourites arrived on a tough day for punters at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
But the Klawervlei-bred Guru’s Pride showed that he is no one-hit polytrack wonder, when upping his game to win the topliner, the R75 000 Fever Tree Stakes.
Socorates (Donovan Dillon) chases late as Guru’s Pride and Warren Kennedy finish powerfully down the outside (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The R929 203 carried over portion of the Pick 6 was evidence of a few surprise winners along the way. But easy to back at 6-1, Guru’s Pride, a winner of the 2020 Listed Darley Arabian on the all-weather, showed his skills under reigning SA champion Warren Kennedy.
This was Guru’s Pride’s maiden turf success as he got the better of Socrates (6-1) late in the non black-type feature, to win by a neck in a time of 87,91 secs.
The weak favourite News Stream (9-2) was a further 0,80 lengths back in third.
Named after his owner, Roy ‘Guru’ Baldeo, the Gavin van Zyl-trained winner, was a R370 000 purchase by Chesney van Zyl at the 2018 CTS April yearling sale and has now won 6 of his 15 starts with 3 places and stakes of R358 250.
A 4yo gelded son of Drakenstein champion Trippi (End Sweep), the winner is out of the General Nediym mare, Generous Anna – a three-time winner in the Jooste silks, who ran second in both the Gr2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas and Gr3 GommaGomma Fillies Mile. Generous Anna’s granddam is Gr1 Telegraph Handicap winner Lady Madonna (by Kingdom Bay).
Anton Marcus was the day’s leading rider with a three-timer. Marcus rode the first two winners on the card for Justin Snaith who walked away with the trainer accolade.
The next KZN racemeeting is at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday 24 February.
